‼️⚖️Fräulein mio🌀‼️

So something I haven't really mentioned here (because I thought it'd be rude and passive-aggressive) is that a lot of people seem to misinterpret and/or misunderstand Nahyuta as a character. In addition to this, a lot of people seem to just ignore crucial plot points that specifically apply to Nahyuta and it's weird.

Part 1: A Summary of Nahyuta's Story

Thought I'd start by summarizing Nahyuta's story because I think it's important that I do. I'll try to keep this shorter than I kept the Klavier personality summary lol. To do that I'll only mention things that are relevant in the context of Nahyuta's arc in Spirit of Justice.

First and foremost, both Apollo and Nahyuta wanted to help further Dhurke's goal of a revolution in Khura'in. This is mentioned to be why Nahyuta became a prosecutor; he wanted to further the revolution from the inside of Ga'ran's regime. He didn't get very far because Ga'ran started blackmailing him with Rayfa and Amara's safety probably the millisecond she realized what he was doing. Ga'ran then proceeded to blackmail Nahyuta for five whole years. Ga'ran's treatment of Nahyuta basically caused Nahyuta to give up because it was either keep resisting and get Rayfa's identity as Dhurke's daughter exposed, which would result in Rayfa losing her status as princess and High Priestess, or comply and protect his family. It's because of Apollo he regains his will to fight Ga'ran. It's because of Apollo that he stands on the side of the Defiant Dragons again.

The thing that's especially heartbreaking about how Ga'ran went about blackmailing Nahyuta is that, in situations where he very likely otherwise wouldn't if he wasn't being blackmailed, he used Khura'inism as a weapon. Remember, he was probably being blackmailed for all or most of his career as a prosecutor. He'd basically decided to give up his morals to protect his mother and sister, and, eventually, Apollo (at least, I would say that was part of the reason for his false confession in Turnabout Revolution). Ga'ran essentially used Khura'inism as a way to control others, especially Nahyuta.

Also important to mention is that Ga'ran was actively concealing things regarding Amara's "assassination" from Nahyuta, very likely as a way to continue manipulating him. Only when he learns that Ga'ran was concealing the truth behind Amara's "assassination" does he start actively defying Ga'ran. It is at that point that Nahyuta does a 180. It is at that point he realizes Ga'ran committed treason (Nahyuta does yield to Ga'ran after this, but it's because he's trying to prevent Apollo from being executed on the spot).

Part 2: An In-Depth Explanation of Nahyuta's Arc

Two things are crucial to Nahyuta's arc and its resolution: Ga'ran blackmailing him, and him basically giving up because Ga'ran was blackmailing him. Nahyuta never lost his morality. He lost his drive to live up to those morals. Apollo and Dhurke both realize there's something off about Nahyuta's behavior. Dhurke even mentions that he thinks Nahyuta still believes in what Dhurke taught him and Apollo. Nahyuta's morals stayed intact even when he wasn't living up to them, and I think it adds to how oppressive Ga'ran is. She is such an effective blackmailer that she managed to get her nephew, Dhurke's son, to give up. Nahyuta was never really loyal to her; he was loyal to Rayfa and Amara, to the point he'd give his life for them.

He's so protective of anyone he considers family, and Ga'ran took advantage of that. We can even see it in action during Turnabout Revolution's second trial twice, including after he defies Ga'ran.

The first time is when he gives his false confession to Inga's murder. Apollo explicitly asks him what Ga'ran did to coerce a confession out of him. I think it's a toss-up whether Apollo or Amara was used against him, considering she refers to Nahyuta as Apollo's "dear brother" earlier in the trial and Nahyuta's false confession comes immediately following a recess because Amara was shot before she could tell the court who actually murdered Inga, but I very much think one or both of them got used against Nahyuta.

The second time is when Apollo and Phoenix are about to be executed (which I hope to god Trucy wasn't present for but I digress). Right before having guns trained on them, Nahyuta tells Apollo "We cannot yield to her here, Apollo. If… If it will move the revolution forward… …I will gladly face the DC Act! Now, do it! Accuse Queen Ga'ran of the crime she has committed!" This is important because it's immediately following this that Ga'ran orders the executions of Phoenix and Apollo. Nahyuta's response to seeing Apollo with guns trained on him? "P-Please, Apollo… Do not make this any worse than it already is… I cannot lose you to the Twilight Realm, too…"

Nahyuta is fiercely loyal to people he sees as family and Ga'ran used it against him for five years. I fucking hate Ga'ran.

Anyway, all of this factors into why Nahyuta did a 180 so fast. He was being blackmailed with his family's safety by Ga'ran, resulting in him just giving up, but he never lost his morals, which very likely made it easier for him to turn on Ga'ran. Additionally, Ga'ran kept crucial information about Amara's "assassination" from him, very likely to make him easier to manipulate, which was the nail in the coffin for his "loyalty" to Ga'ran. I'd be surprised if he doesn't feel an immense amount of guilt over it. It's made clear that his morals are still intact by his quoting of Dhurke's mantra — "A dragon never yields." Nahyuta didn't submit to Ga'ran because he wanted to. He did it because his family's lives were at stake. Once Dhurke was exonerated, Ga'ran's threats didn't matter anymore, at least not until Ga'ran directly threatened Apollo's life.

Nahyuta's loyalty being so strong that it makes him easy to manipulate is a part of Nahyuta's character that I think is underappreciated. He was willing to risk everything for Amara, Rayfa, and Apollo. He didn't care if he died in the process as long as they were safe. It's crucial to his arc. His arc would've been completely different if he wasn't so loyal that he was willing to die if it meant Apollo was able to keep living. Nahyuta is self-sacrificial to the same extents as Gregory, Mia, and Simon were.

His arc isn't exactly about overcoming that, and I honestly think that's a good thing. His arc is about breaking free of that being used against him. What breaks him free from that? Learning the truth about what happened to Amara and Apollo's drive to save Nahyuta from Ga'ran and live up to Dhurke's creed.

So, to summarize, things Nahyuta's arc is:

A journey of breaking free from someone else's control

A story about someone who gave up because not doing so put their family in danger

Things Nahyuta's arc is not:

A story about someone who was brainwashed into giving up on their goals (if he was brainwashed, he wouldn't have done a 180 so quickly. There's a difference between being blackmailed and being brainwashed)

A story about someone who chose to abandon their morals (Nahyuta never abandoned his morals and he never chose to live by "Let it go, and move on." He was forced to because he was being blackmailed by Ga'ran and had to give up because not doing so put his family and possibly even himself in danger)

Part 3: Conclusion

If it wasn't already obvious, I don't think Nahyuta was poorly written. He was doing what he had to do to keep his family safe. That's made explicitly clear within Spirit of Justice. It's not an assumption on my part. You look at his actions in context and it's obvious that giving up was, in his mind, the best way to protect Amara and Rayfa, and eventually Apollo. I can't blame him either; he was being blackmailed by his queen. There is absolutely no way he had another option. If he thought defying Ga'ran would put Rayfa, Amara, or Apollo's lives at risk during Turnabout Revolution, he wouldn't have defied Ga'ran, but he does and he immediately goes back on it because it put Apollo's life in danger. He was very deliberately written like that and his entire arc revolves around it, but I don't really see much discussion around it. It's so weird to me because like. That's the whole reason he is how he is during literally all of Spirit of Justice???? This crucial part of Nahyuta's behavior and personality feels like it's completely ignored. Do people talk about it and I'm just hanging out in the wrong part of the Ace Attorney fandom?

also why did nick go to khura’in two whole weeks before maya can even see him and spend those two weeks doing fuck all after helping ahlbi “but the animated prologue-“ its not in the game nor was it ever referenced.

mainly i think it wouldve been better for apollo’s development, nahyuta’s development, and development for their relationships with each other and dhurke to be a bit more spread out over the game instead of alllll of that happening in a single case.

have apollo be the first one to go to and fuck around khura’in. maybe dhurke sent him a letter somehow and after some deliberation apollo leaves to go give his dad a piece of his mind or something. give us scenes of apollo reconnecting to his childhood. show him seeing how bad the legal system is there and becoming determined to fix it. show him learn about the defiant dragons. have him run into and bond with maya and defend her in court. Itd be an interesting scenario to explore cuz we already know that nick would put his life on the line for maya’s sake, she’s his best friend after all. but would apollo do the same for someone he barely knows? maybe maya could be the defendant in the tutorial case in this hypothetical, while in case 3 the defendant is someone else and both maya and rayfa tag along as investigation partners.